Thursday, April 28, 2011

"Get Your Motors Running!": The "Zippers Of Zoomerville" returns to the Phoenix Theatre April 28 - May 28, 2011!

Get Your Motors Running! The wacky "Gilbert and Sullivan Meets The Indy 500" musical I helped the uber-talented Jack O'Hara finish and debut in 2009, "The Zippers Of Zoomerville", is back for a retooled May run at the Phoenix Theatre here in Indianapolis! I urge you all to attend, as many times as possible, with as many friends and relatives as possible, as the show really is a blast. I'm a bit of a junior creative partner on this one, so allow me to triumphantly sing the show's praises:

+ Jack's script (he wrote the book and lyrics, he and I collaborated on the music) is incredibly funny, sly, dense, flippant, witty, chock full of allusion and illusion, a wry send-up of light opera, pop culture, open wheel racing and all things ridiculously "May in Indianapolis". But, umm, it's set in the mythical town of Zoomerville and centers on the wacky goings-on surrounding the fictional (yet oddly annual) "Zoomvee 499" auto race, and all the oft-silly pomp and pageantry surrounding said race.

+ The 6-person cast is an amazingly talented group of actors and singers. Four cast members return from the original production: Scot Greenwell as rookie driver/bumpkin saviour John Hoosier Lordy Boy, Jr......Phebe Taylor as reluctant "499 Queen" Happenstance Throttlehotter.........Michael Shelton (my fellow "Prine" cast member) as surly veteran champion driver Rusty Nubbins........and Mikayla Reed as scheming, everpresent Queen runner-up Veneera Glossover. The two new cast members - godsends both - are Jolene Moffatt as track matriarch Speedlove Throttlehotter and Trevor Fanning as the greedy real estate developer who wants to turn the Zoomvee track into condos, Buck Upshotz. It's a really fast-paced production, tons of costume changes, running around - and they are all really funny and wonderful performers.

+ Once again, Bryan Fonseca's the producer, Jack once again directs, and I return once again as musical director and accompanist.

I do hope you can make it - and please tell every person that you've ever known about it! The shows are Thursdays at 7PM, Fridays/Saturdays at 8PM and Sundays at 2PM, April 28 - May 28. Click here to get to the Phoenix website for tickets!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Different Beat Radio, Episode #8:Our Second Year, Nearing 2000 Downloads, A Growing International Audience and..... "Welcome To The Family/Riding With The King"!

Different Beat Radio, (new music from the wilds of  Indiana, hosted by singer/songwriter/producer Tim Brickley) is back with Episode #8: “Welcome To The Family/Riding With The King”.  Singer/songwriter/brother Pat Brickley is onboard for a wide-ranging interview and to spin various selected tracks he’s written and recorded through the years,

Patrick "King" Brickley and King, Jr.
 including the power pop coed anthem “Tri Delt Girls”, the lovely yet ill-fated movie song miss “Henry Poole Is Here", Elvis and Nat “King” Cole tributes and more. What kind of “more”, you ask? Well, a rare live cut (“Sweet Mary Kay”, an early David Rheins/TB song)  from Tim’s mid-80’s band Today’s Icons - warming up Culture Club, no less!?!, and
Today's Icons, in front of a giant Culture Club banner (1984)
 “World” written by and featuring Tim’s other (and first, we might add) singer/songwriter brother Chuck
Chuck Brickley, laying it down in mock turtleneck. (1966)
and some archival audio advertising arcana from Tom Gulley, Rene Longoria and TB. (Approx 36 mins., 2011)